Pocket lighter



July 12, 1949. c. L. FELLER 2,476,087

' POCKET LIGHTER Filed Dec. 21, 1945 FIGJ.

32%ywmwimmm ATTORNEYv Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET LIGHTER Charles L. Feller, New York, N. Y.

Application December 21, 1945, Serial No. 636,317

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to automatic lighters, and more particularly to a pocket lighter.

An object of my invention is to provide a device Olf the said character wherein certain mechanical means are provided for igniting the wick which forms a pant of same.

Another object of my invention is the employment therein of a split or two-sectioned cover or cap, adapted to be depressed by pressure upon one section of the said cover to operate the mechanism and light the wick.

Another object of this invention is the provision therein of means for automatically closing the device when the pressure is released.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an organization in which the constituent elements are so arranged structurally and functionally as to assure improved results with materials and members which may be manufactured at reasonable cost, may be easily assembled and which will be efficient in operation with minimum wear to the parts.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description and in the claim wherein parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to me, but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not Ito be limited thereto.

The novel features considered characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method or" operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lighter in closed position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the position of the moving {parts when the cover is depressed to operate the friction wheel and light i the wick.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Figure 4 is a similar section of the upper part 2 of the device and shows the cap in open, operative position.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of the sliding block contained within the rear cover, and

Figures 7 and 8 are views of a modification which will be hereinafter described.

Referring in detail to the parts, H represents a lighter comprising a casing having front and rear walls l2 and I3 respectively, side walls ill and I5, bottom l6 and a shelf or dividing partition l1, all .Lforming a fuel chamber I3. A split cover or cap consisting of a front member 53 which is pivotly supported upon a shaft at 23 which is in turn mounted upon a forked member 2| secured upon the shelf [1. A rear cover or cap 22, is pivotly attached to the front cover portion at 23, while at the rear the said cover mentber 22 is rpivotly and slideably attached by a pin 23 to standards 25 which are secured at the rear end of the shelf IT. The outer ends of the said pin 24 are adapted to engage within slots 23 to allow the said rear cap to move reciprocally therein.

A friction wheel 21 is centrally mounted to rotate upon the pin 20 and extending laterall from both sides of the said friction wheel are pins 253 which are adapted to be engaged by the hook members or prongs 29 formed upon a sliding block 30. The said block 30 is formed with a slot 3| which is adapted to slideably engage over the pin 24 and within the rear cap 22.

Extending through the shelf I1 and the base of the forked member 2| is a tube 33 which passes through the fuel chamber I8 and. through the bottom l6, where it is closed by a cap 33. The said cap 33 is threaded into the tube 32 and engages a spring 34 which, in (turn, exerts a pressure against fiints 35. In the drawing Figure 3, the spring and the flints are shown in dotted lines, and three flints are shown. The upper flint contacts the periphery of the friction wheel 2'1.

A short tube 38 extends through, is threaded to the shelf I1 and carries a wick 31 which extends well into the fuel chamber l3 and is imbedded in cotton or other suitable material which may be saturated with any form of ignition fluid usually used in lighters of this type. The cotton contained within the said fuel chamber l 8 may be saturated with ignition fluid by pouring said fluid into the chamber through an opening closed by the cap 38. A capsule 39 may be secured to the inner end of the cap 38 and is adapted to hold a number of extra flints. The upper end oi the wick 31 extends slightly above the upper edge of the tubular section 36 as indicated at 46. Attached to the front cover 19 'is a tube 4| flared at its lower outer end and which is adapted .to act as a snufi'er to put out the lighted wick when the cover is closed.

In engagement between the upper side of the shelf I! and the lower side of the block 30 is a spring member 42, which is adapted to .keep the covers normally in their raised or closed position. A spring 43 is mounted within the slot 3! on the block 30, and exerts a pressure upon the block 30 to keep it normally in its forward position. When the cover is depressed the forward lower end of the sides of the rear cover 22 moves into pockets 44.

In the modified form shown in Figures 7 and 8, the prongs 29 on the block 30 are dispensed with and pawls 45 are pivotly mounted within grooves 46 formed, upon the ends of the said block 30, and the said pawls are normally kept in the open position shown in Figure 7 by means of a spring 41. The action of these "pawls in the operation of the device will be hereinafter explained.

The operation of the device is asfollows:

Figure 1 shows the device whennot in use and normally closed. Assuming that the fuel chamber has been charged with ignition fluid and the wick saturated with same and the upper flint is in position against the friction wheel, the user depresses the cover by applying a finger to the top of the rear cover thereby causing the parts to assume the position shown in Figures 2 and 4, and as the rear .cover section moves downwardly the prongs on the block engage an aligned set of pins (one on each .side of the friction wheel) and force the friction wheel to rotate which rotation will create sufficient friction against the contacting flint to cause a spark to shoot outwardly and ignite the wick :at 40. When the user no longer needs the light burning at the wick 40, he releases his finger from the cap thereby allowing the spring 42 to force the block and rear cover upwardly into its normally closed position, at the same time moving the forward section of the cover downwardly and snufiing out the light.

When the block moves upwardly, the prongs 29 will strike against the pin :28 immediately above and the upward pressure exerted by the the said prongs will force the block backwardly against the pressure of the spring 43 until the lower end of the prong clears the pins 28, at which point the said spring 43 will force the prongs outwardly and over the pin as the covers close.

In lieu of the prongs 29 upon the block 30, the spring-actuated pawls 45 will clear the pins during the upward movement of the block.

As indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings, three flints are shown within the tube 32 and the object of so placing the flints is to provide an automatic means to feed a new flint to the friction wheel when the preceding flint is no longer useable.

I claim:

In a lighter of the class described, comprising a casing having a fuel chamber, a wick leading therefrom, a flint mounted outside of said fuel chamber in juxtaposition to the exposed end of the said wick, a friction wheel upon the said casing adapted to engage the said flint, pins upon the said friction wheel extending laterally therefrom, in combination with an operating member pivotally attached to .said casing, pawls upon one end of said. operating :member adapted to engage the said pins upon the friction wheel to turn same when the said operating member is de-- pressed and a spring upon the said operating member engaging one end of "said pawls to hold same in normal operating position and permit said pawls to pass the said pins when the said operating member moves upwardly.

CHARLES L.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are :of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Austria June 25, 1936 

